An agreement signed by the state and companies pursuing the project says subject to consultation between the state and local governments, payments in lieu of property taxes would be paid by the companies.

The mayor of the Kenai Peninsula Borough, Mike Navarre, told the Senate Finance Committee that consultation is not a strong word.

The mayors are seeking greater assurances for the level of input they will have as the process moves forward.

The committee is weighing a bill that would make the state an equity partner and allow for the project to move into a phase of preliminary engineering and design.